8/31-9/1: Military kids get boost from Sesame Street in Glendale

Touring show emphasizes how friendships can help the process of relocating

Most kids know "Sesame Street" and its fuzzy/furry cast of Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the rest. But lesser known is Katie, a military kid who's worried about leaving old friends and making new ones when Mom or Dad are transferred to another base.

This weekend, Katie, Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster and other classic characters will pull up to Luke Air Force Base in a new tricked-out tour bus to perform a new stage show as part of the Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families tour.

"The USO is very excited to partner again with the Sesame Street workshop as we return the tour to the U.S. with a fresh new look, theme and character," said Sloane Gibson, USO president and CEO.

"Katie helps military kids, just like her, learn how to make new friends wherever they are."

First lady Michelle Obama, along with Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, first introduced Katie to military families in April 2011 at a rally in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, the tour has visited scores of bases around the country and overseas.

The Sesame Street performance emphasizes coping with relocation through the power of friendship to let military children know they're not alone when dealing with new people and new places.

"Her (Katie's) experiences really echo the experiences that military kids experience when they have to move, whether it's leaving friends behind and not able to stay in touch with their (old) friends, or moving to a new place where they're worried about making friends," said Lynn Chwatsky, assistant vice president of Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships for Sesame Street Workshop, the non-profit educational workshop behind the television show.

The tour also provides outreach material and special giveaways to military families who attend the Sesame Street USO events. It's open only to military ID holders and their family and guests.

Since its inception four years ago, the tour has performed 433 shows at 133 military bases in 33 states and 11 countries, taking its message to more than 248,000 troops and military-family members.

It will visit more than 65 military installations across the country and perform more than 235 shows before it concludes in November.

"Sesame Street and the USO want military families to know that we are there for them," Chwatsky said.

"We know that some days are harder (for them) than others; we thank them so much for their continued service."